Thread: KY: House Bill could help identify illegal immigrants

House Bill could help identify illegal immigrants

By Pam Cassady-Staff Reporter pamcndl@bellsouth.net

Feb 9, 2008


Last year, District Judge Sue Carol Browning brought light to the problem of dealing with illegal aliens in the court system when she was suspended for two weeks for denying bail to 17 defendants in Todd County.

Browning said she jailed the defendants because she had little information about their residency status or criminal history and had seen the defendants repeatedly in court. She said some gave false names when they were arrested.

The problem, Browning said, is that when immigrants are brought in with no identification, there is no way of knowing whether this is their first offense or whether they are repeat offenders. A bill that is currently in a Kentucky House Judiciary Committee might help deal with that problem.

House Bill 304 would give local jails direct access to a national database that identifies anyone in the U.S. with a criminal record. Sponsored by Rep. Bob Damron, D-Nicholasville, the bill would give booking officers direct access to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) data that could help identify illegal immigrants entering jails without a valid Social Security number or reported place of birth who have allegedly committed a crime elsewhere.

“It sounds like it would certainly be helpful in identifying and keeping a record of illegal immigrants,â€

I think they need a national data base and it should include aliases. Often times illegals bond out and take off to another state unless their employer posts bond. I have heard bail bonds people complain about it. Many jails in many states have an ICE agent there to check arrested people for immigration status already so why not make it easier for all of them by having a national data base. It could also catch those who took off on bond from other states.